Electrolytic ship-cleaner.



G. W. FRAZIER, DECD. M. 1:. FRAZER, ADMINISTBATBIX.

ELECTROLYTIGYSHIP CLEANER. I v APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1908i RENEWED JUNE 6, 1910.

81,92, Patented Ja.11.17,l911.

pisrrnn s'ra rn arr orrrcn.

GECRGE W. FRAZIER, OF PITTSBURG. PENNSYLVANIA; MARY E. FRAZIER, ADMINIS- TRATRIX OF SAID GEORGE W. 33BAZLI IEZR, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T0 PITTSBURGH ELECTROLYTIC MFG. (30., A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTROLYTIC SHIP- ILEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan 17 1911. i

Application filed November 28, 1908, Serial No. 464,835. Renewed June 6, 1910. Serial No. 565,379.

tain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Ship-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrolytic ship cleaners, and has, generally considered, the same nature and. purpose as the apparatus and the inventions described and set forth in Letters Patent of the United States issued to me May S, 1906. No 82kt anu No. 872,759, December 3. 1907. of the United States issued toJohn ll. Sehoncbcrger and to me as joint inventors, and, also, in the application for Letters Patent otthe United States filed by rlohu H. Schonebe'rger and myself as joint inventors July 10, 1907, ticrial No. 383,021. In those inventions the electrode or electrodes and the source of current electricity are borne by each vessel as a part devices illustrated and explained are adapted for cleansing,' the exterior plates or into rior pipes and receptacles of that vessel only by which they are carried.

It is an object of my present invention to provide means and contrivances suitable in number, bodily movable and having adjunable mechanical parts whereby the elcctrmlos may be applied to one or to a number of vessels at the same time, the current being received from a central generating station at the shore or carried by floating body. The floating central station may be itself furnished with a plurality of adjustable electrodes supports, in order that it may proceed to the side of any given ship at anchor, for the purpose of cleansing that ship extcriorly or interiorly, while. at the same time, current may be supplied to other floating and non-floating electrodes supports that may be acting upon other vessels in the vicinity. As t'ully explained in the patents and application referred to above. the cleansing actionresults from the electrolytic operation of the current upon the sea water between the electrode as one pole ant the plates of the ship as the other pole, and

of its regular equipment. and the a selt-piamellcd l 1 l l l the creation of a film of caustic soda in'nne diately at the surface of the ships plates, the electrode and the plates being separated a relatively small distance. V

The stated objects of my present invention are attained by fashioning and associating the various devices asillustratedin the accompanying drawings, of which ,l *igure 1 represents a diagrammatic plan view of the arrangement of the central station and sub-stations of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view oi a float provided with more than a single electrode and adjustable support for applying it to a vessel. Fig. 3 represents a side view of an electrode support and shows the adjusting devices and related parts. In Fig. 3, the scale of drawing has been increased to more clearly exhibit the construction of the parts. i

Like numbers are used to refer to the same parts throughout the description and drawings.

The main or central station float l. inav possess its own propeller A and engine therefor. or. it may be towed from place to place as desired. \Vhen tied up at anv location it obviously equivalent generating plant on shore. in the same situation. The float l provided with an electrical generator and an operating engine 3. From the central float l. and the generator a midncling cable a mav be suspended overhead and lead to a post 5 suitably supported above the surtace of the water and provided with a terminal box (3 and connecting devices 7. Another conducting cable S'may lead beneath the water from the float l to a buoy H. which may be supplied with a terminal box 10, and con nccting devices 11 whereby electrical current may be taken from whatever may be the situation of the buoy 9. A gain, another conducting cable 12 may lead beneath the water from float 1 to a reel 13. carried by a movable float '14. It is thought to be apparent that the float ll- :nay be located at various points either near the central float 1 or as tar tlicrolrom as the length ol" cable 12 when unrcclcd its full length. The float. l4 bears ing the vertically movable stati l5 guided in the upper sleeve 16 and lower sleeve 17, and the horizontally movable rod 18 guided in the bracketsleeve 19 secured at the bottom of the staff 15. It will be observed in Fig. 3 .that'the staff 15 is ierced transversely at intervals with holes for pins 20, by means of which the staff is supported in a higher or lower position as may bedesired. In the same Fig. 3 it will also be noted that the horizontal rod 18 is threaded, and the threads engage the collar 21 held in a recess 22 in the bracket sleeve 19. The collar- 21 has a projecting series of sprocket teeth 23 and maybe rotated by chain 2i that passes around an upper sprocket wheel 25 on the stalf 15 and provided with the crank handle 26. It is believed to be now clear that the collar when rotated operates to extender to withdraw the horizontal rod 18 with'respect to the vertical staff, and the electrode :27 at the outer end of the horizontal rod is correspondingly moved. Further considering Fig. 3 it will be seen that the electrode has a pivotal connection with the rod 18, the pivotal point being above the axial line of the electrodel Therefore, the outward face of the electrode is normally vertical and held in that position by the preponderance of weight below the line joining the pivotal points. In this position, the electrode may be directly presented to any vertical surface as the side of'a ship just below the water line, asillustrated in Fig. 1. The insulating fenders 28 and 29 prevent actual contact be-- tween the electrode and the plates of the vessel. But, when the electrode is lowered in order to reach lower and curving portions of the ships exterior, the outer face of the electrode will become inclined upon contact with the plates and assume a position directly presenting its full faceto the surface even where curved, as also illustrated in Fig. 1. More than one electrode and adjustable supporting devices as described may be carried by the movable float 14, as illustrated in Fi 2. From the central or main float or statlon 1 still another cable 30 may lead to a wheeled carriage 31, and this car- .riage may also have a reel 32 to take up and to let out the cable. The carriage is adapted to be moved from place to place on a wharf,

" andthus render the electrode and electrode supports with which it is equipped available for cleansing the bottom of vessels laid up at the wharf.

It is not essential that the movable float should be constantly connected by cable with the central float 1. Let it be assumed that the cable 12 is absent, and that the float 14.

Whether there be considered either the central float 1 or the movable and detachable float 14, or the wharf carriage 31, the operation is the same. Each cable is constructed and arranged as is the cable 12. That is to say, one conductor 34 of the cable is connected with the electrode, and the other conductor 35 is connected with the metal exterior of the ship 36. Thus, when current is applied the ships plates are one pole and the electrode the other pole of the electrolytic couple immersed in the sea water. Decomposition coats the plates with caustic soda formed immediately next the metal surface of the plate and the cleansing operation is effected thereby and all sea growths detached or loosened and eventually detached, and subsequent corrosion of the plates prevented.

Having now described my invention and explained the mode of its operation, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a ship-cleaner, the combination with a source of electricity, of a bod movable independently of the ship to be cleaned, an electrode connected with and adapted to be supported in the water by the said body, and conductors leading from the source of electricity tothe said body, one of the conductors being connected with the electrode, and another conductor arranged to be connected with the metal exterior of a ship.

2. In a ship-cleaner, the combination with a source of electricity, of a body movable independently of the ship to be cleaned, an electrode, electrode supports carried by the said body and constructed to support the electrode in the water and move the electrode toward or from the body, and conductors leading from the source of electricity to the said body, one of the conductors'being connected with the electi ode, and another conductor arranged to be connected with the metal exterior of a ship.

In a ship-cleaner, the combination with a source of electricity, of a floating body movable independently of the ship to be cleaned, an electrode connected with and adapted to be supported in the water by the said body, and conductors leading from the source of electricity to the said body, one of the conductors being connected with the electrode, and another conductor arranged to be connected with the metal exterior of a ship.

4. In a ship-cleaner, the combination with a source of electricity, of a floating body movable independently of the ship to be cleaned, an electrode, electrode supports carried by the saidbody and constructed to support the electrode in the water and move the electrode toward or from the body, and conductors leading from the source of electricity to the said body, one of the conducthe conductors being connected with the elecby the said body, an electrode connected with and adapted to be supported in the tors being connected with the electrode, and another conductor arranged to be connectedwith the metal exterior of a ship.

5. In a ship-cleaner, the combination With a source of electricity, of an electrode, adjustable electrode supports constructed to support the'electrode 1n the Water and move the electrode toward or from the said supports, and conductors leading from the source of electricity to the said body, one of trode, and another conductor arranged to be connected with the metal exterior of a ship.

6'. In a ship cleaner, the combination with a, body movable independently of the ship to becleaned, of a source of electricity carried water by thesaid body, and conductors lead- I ing from the source of electricity, one of the P,

conductors being connected with the electrode, and another conductor arranged to be connected with the metal exterior of a ship.

7. In a ship-cleaner, the combination with adjustable electrode supports constructed to support an electrode in the water and move the electrode toward or from the said supports, of an electrode having a fiat side, the

said electrode being pivotally connected with the said supports substantially as described whereby the fiat side of the electrode may be presented to the curving portions of a ships bottom.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 

